DETECTION OF INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR BINDING PROTEINS (IGFBPs) IN PORCINE SERUM

Multiple insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are found in sera of various species. This study was conducted to investigate whether IGFBPs in porcine serum could be detected using antibodies and antisera raised against human IGFBP-1, -2, -3 and -4. Western ligand blot procedure was used for the identification of IGFBPs in porcine serum. The results presented in this work showed that the heterologous antibodies can be used to identify IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3, but not IGFBP-4 in the porcine serum. We recommend an affinity-purified goat polyclonal antibody (Cat No DSL-R00337) from Diagnostic System Laboratories Inc. (DSL, Webster, USA) for the detection of porcine IGFBP-1, an affinity-purified goat polyclonal antibody from DSL (Cat No DSL-R00437) or a goat polyclonal antibody from Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Santa Cruz, USA (Cat No sc-6002) for the detection of porcine IGFBP-2 and, finally, an affinity-purified goat polyclonal antibody from DSL (Cat No DSL-R00536) for the detection of porcine IGFBP-3, all following a reducing SDS PAGE.